A Healthy Pregnancy

When it comes to a healthy pregnancy, nutrition is key. Healthy eating is essential to both mother and baby. The experts at the Mayo Clinic have outlined a healthy diet of expectant mothers. They recommend grains. Grains provided needed carbohydrates. Whole grains also provide essential fiber. Fortified grain products also prove several essential vitamins and minerals.

No surprise the plenty of fruits and vegetables are on the list. These, too, contain essential vitamins and minerals, along with fiber and water. Vitamin C, common in many fruits, helps with the absorption of iron, a nutrient that becomes all the more important to a woman during pregnancy. It’s also suggested that expectant moms top their cereal with fruit, add extra vegetables to casseroles, and maybe make a veggie pizza. The vitamins and minerals obtained from eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables are essential to the health of both mom and baby. The baby needs the nutrition to develop properly and mom needs it because pregnancy tends to exhaust needed nutrients faster.

Proteins such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and beans also provide B vitamins and iron. Peanut butter on toast is also a good choice for breakfast. Fish provides essential Omega 3 fatty acids. However, it is advisable to avoid fish such as swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, and shark, as these tend to be susceptible to higher concentrations of mercury.

Dairy products are also a must. Calcium and calcium-fortified products are very helpful. They replenished lost calcium in the mother and help greatly in the development of the baby’s bones and teeth. Milks from the cereal, yogurt for a snack, low fat cheeses, a glass of skim milk with dinner are all healthy choices for expectant moms.

Fats, oils and sweets are all okay in moderation. Make sure they don’t interfere with your appetite for other nutrient rich foods and be careful to maintain a healthy weight.

Water is always essential to good health and expectant mothers need plenty. Staying hydrated is so important. Water also helps nutrients from the foods you eat get to the baby faster. Water can prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, urinary tract infections and can actually serve to reduce excessive swelling. Too little water in mother’s diet can lead to early labor.

Ask your healthcare provider about supplements. Even when eating all the right things in all the right amounts, expectant moms can still be lacking in vital nutrients.

Alcohol is out. Alcohol in any amount can contribute to premature labor, low birth weight, and fetal alcohols syndrome. There is no safe amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

As for smoking during pregnancy, the risks are enormous. In addition to the health risks smoking poses to the smoker, smoking can cause premature labor and birth, low birth weight, birth defects involving the heart, limbs, skull, and muscles. After the baby is born, the effects of smoking during pregnancy can continue. It has been linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), colic, asthma, chronic respiratory infections, and even childhood obesity.